SF Giants hitting prospects week in review (7/10-7/23)

Make sure to revisit our weekly SF Giants prospect rundowns to keep up with each of their minor-league affiliates. If you do not feel well acclimated to the prospects throughout the farm system, you might want to revisit our prospect week articles that detailed the system from the top prospects to lower-level fringes. If you’re just interested in the biggest names, then the preseason SF Giants top 31 prospects list is the one-stop-shop for you.

Because of the midseason MVPs post last week, this week’s weekly rundown will cover the past two weeks of action.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Triple-A

Notable Performers

Joe McCarthy: 11 G, 45 AB, .311 AVG, .865 OPS, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 9 K, 1 SB
Braden Bishop: 10 G, 45 AB, .311 AVG, .878 OPS, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 SB
Will Toffey: 5 G, 19 AB, .294 AVG, .686 OPS, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 9 K

The best hitting prospects over the past two weeks of play have been two 27-year old outfielders with completely different skillsets. Joe McCarthy is having a career year offensively with a career-best 12 home runs this season as well as a .533 SLG. The lefty masher is also posting a strikeout rate of 18.6%, his lowest since 2017. His batting average has kept improving as the season rolls along (.271 in May, .304 in June, .316 in July) and he more than deserves a second shot at the big leagues in San Francisco or elsewhere.

Braden Bishop has also been cruising ever since he was acquired by the Giants from Seattle earlier this year. He is posting career highs in his triple slash (.330/.400/.514) this season and has been knocking on the door all season long for his big league shot. With Jaylin Davis injured, Bishop is just another outfielder deserving of another opportunity.

A couple of weeks have given us enough time to see what Will Toffey is about. After an 0-4 with four strikeout debut for the River Cats, the 26-year old put up a nice 5-15 over his next three games before missing a week’s worth of action. Toffey has played on both corner infield spots as well as left field. After struggling mightily this season as a Met, Toffey could definitely use a breath of fresh air with the Giants and his performance until the end of the season is one worth tracking.

To cap off the River Cats side of things, I would like to write a few words to celebrate the career of Drew Robinson. He’s inspired so many lives (including mine) to live life to the fullest and understand gloomy days are a part of why our lives are worth living. I’m looking forward to seeing him inspire more lives as a mental health advocate for the Giants.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Double-A

Notable Performers

Simon Whiteman: 12 G, 42 AB, .286 AVG, .910 OPS, 5 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 10 BB, 14 K, 4 SB
Diego Rincones: 10 G, 32 AB, .281 AVG, .963 OPS, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 5 BB, 8 K
Will Wilson: 12 G, 51 AB, .235 AVG, .669 OPS, 3 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 17 K

One of the more pleasant surprises in the month of July for the Flying Squirrels has been the play of Simon Whiteman. The speedy second baseman is batting .279 in July with a .888 OPS, eight doubles, two home runs, and four stolen bases (he’s swiped 28 bags on the season). He is an excellent base stealer and based on this month, getting on base at a much better clip greatly increases the chance of him finding a long-term role. Kevin Cunningham drafted him with the final selection in our Giants Farm System Draft and if you want to know all the selections, give it a listen!

It always seems like a matter of when not if Diego Rincones‘ bat will heat up and he’s really turning it on over the past seven days with a .353 batting average and a 1.361 OPS with three home runs, three walks, and only three strikeouts. The Venezuelan has unique swing mechanics but an excellent feel for the barrel and has shown plenty of power as well. He might be a trade chip heading to the trade deadline but there is a good chance he will stay a Giants prospect when the calendar turns to August.

While Rincones has found his footing at the Double-A level, his former Eugene teammate Will Wilson has really struggled to get the bat going after three weeks of action. The biggest issue with Wilson as a Flying Squirrel has been the strikeouts, as he’s struck out in just under 32% of his trips to the plate through 16 games. The worse part of it is that his BABIP is at a healthy .317, signaling that there could even be a small amount of regression coming. The jump to Double-A is always particularly difficult for hitters, and there’s still plenty of time for him to adjust.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: High-A

Notable Performers

Heath Quinn: 9 G, 31 AB, .355 AVG, 1.171 OPS, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 3 BB, 9 K
Carter Aldrete: 10 G, 35 AB, .314 AVG, 1.157 OPS, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 6 BB, 12 K
Brett Auerbach: 10 G, 42 AB, .262 AVG, .983 OPS, 1 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 5 BB, 17 K, 2 SB
Ricardo Genoves: 12 G, 38 AB, .211 AVG, .773 OPS, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 7 BB, 14 K

Heath Quinn has long struggled with injuries throughout his professional career and has fallen out of the outfield depth chart as a result. Over the last two weeks, however, the 2016 third-round pick has shown that he’s still a respectable force when fully healthy, highlighted by a three-game stretch from July 13 to 15 where he went 8-11 with four home runs and 12 RBIs that earned him the High-A West Player of Week award. There’s a lot of fight left in Quinn and a strong finish

The most productive player over the past two weeks for the Emeralds however has been Carter Aldrete. The 2019 15th round selection has tremendous raw power but has struggled to make contact in the first two months of the season with a .212 batting average, only one home run, and a near 32% strikeout rate. This month though, he’s been hitting better with a .268 average but he’s finally hitting for power with five big flies. The strikeouts are still high with a 33.9% strikeout rate this month, but it’s the power that we want to see from Aldrete and it’s the power that we are getting.

Another Emerald who’s hit five home runs came from an unexpected source from super-utility man Brett Auerbach. The 5’9″, 185 lbs. baseball player flexed his muscles over the past two weeks highlighted by hitting a long ball in a three-game stretch. Auerbach now has eight home runs this season and while the strikeouts crept up over the past two weeks to a 36.2% rate, he has opened plenty of eyes this season with his ability to play any position in the field at a high level while showing the ability to make contact with a hint of more power than expected.

After having a stellar San Jose campaign, Ricardo Genoves has largely struggled to find consistency in High-A ball, batting only .206 with three home runs, all three came on a five-game span this week. However, the overall perception is that the 22-year old has improved his stock with his much-improved approach at the plate, posting a 15.7% walk rate in Eugene. The bigger issue for Genoves is his blocking behind the plate, with already 19 passed balls and more than a handful of wild pitches allowed across two levels. His catch-and-throw skills are still good with a 33% caught stealing rate, but his receiving and blocking could push him out of catching as he gets older.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Rookie

Notable Performers

Aeverson Arteaga: 9 G, 31 AB, .290 AVG, .934 OPS, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 9 K
Alexander Suarez: 8 G, 30 AB, .333 AVG, .842 OPS, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 15 K, 4 SB
Elian Rayo: 7 G, 20 AB, .250 AVG, .900 OPS, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 10 BB, 2 K, 1 SB
Mauricio Pierre: 8 G, 29 AB, .345 AVG, .939 OPS, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 12 K, 1 SB

With a couple more home runs over the past couple of weeks, Aeverson Arteaga has claimed sole possession of the home run lead in rookie ball this season with six blasts. The Venezuelan shortstop ranks second in the AZL in SLG, fourth in OPS, and is inside the top 15 in AVG and OBP. While Arteaga’s offensive numbers are skewed a bit by playing in a very hitter-friendly complex facility, the physical improvements that he’s shown heading to this season definitely helped him. The only concern that I have with regards to Arteaga is his below-average strikeout rate but he’s been flashing an above-average walk rate on the backfields.

The other standout player in the Arizona backfields in the past two weeks is Alexander Suarez. The cousin of top Giants prospect Luis Matos flashed his power and speed with his first home run and four stolen bases. The big thing that concerns me about his hot start this season is that his performance is fueled by a high BABIP of .444 and his peripherals (4.5% walk rate and 35.8% strikeout rate) are well below average. If he can improve his peripherals over the course of this season, he could make plenty of noise.

Down in the Felipe Alou Academy, Elian Rayo is controlling the strike zone that even Logan Wyatt could only dream of with a 33.3% walk rate and only a 6.7% strikeout rate. The 6’0″, 202 lbs. third baseman from Nicaragua already has a filled out frame for a teenager, and maintaining his body weight could become an issue as he gets to his mid-20s. However, he’s flashing an advanced eye at the plate and is proving to be a tough out against teenage pitching.

One of the most impressive athletes down in the Dominican Republic is the Panamanian Mauricio Pierre. One of the top signees by the Giants in the 2020 international free agent market, the outfielder has plus athleticism to go along with a projectable frame, above-average speed, and some raw power. He’s flashed a mature swing path in his first home run, and while there are obvious underdeveloped elements in his game, there is plenty of potential with the right coaching.

Stay tuned to Around the Foghorn for all the latest SF Giants news, rumors, and prospect updates. A complete rundown of the pitching in the system over the past two weeks will be published tomorrow.